The Secret to Success is Giving

The Golden Rule of Business says that people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust. It’s a transformational philosophy on how to create success in business AND life. How can we apply this rule?

According to Bob Burg and John David Mann in The Go-Giver, there are 5 laws that attract “stratospheric success.” In this segment, we’ll focus on the first law: The Law of Value, which states, “Your worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.”

Sound Pollyanna? Remember the wise proverb, “Give and you shall receive,” or the business philosophy, “Givers Gain”? When we change our focus from “getting” to “giving,” we put others’ needs first and add value that brings unexpected returns.

By incorporating this transformation philosophy as a way of life, we have the opportunity to experience the “joy of giving,” which has inspired everything from business books, to philanthropic giants, to psychologists who say that altruism and generosity make us healthier and happier.

Why is giving so powerful? When we truly give without expectation, we experience love, joy, peace, community, charity, caring and improved self-worth. This process of personal EXPANSION creates great joy, as we open a conduit for the kind of happiness that no one can ever steal. Some say that through selfless giving, we enter the space where holiness resides. Some visionaries even believe in the possibility of an economy based entirely on giving!

To apply this law to growing your business, you’ve got to give more. Giving is a way of life, and produces huge dividends over the long-term. Some examples might be exceptional customer service scores; customer appreciation programs; added-value services, such as free shipping, etc; consistent and fair practices and processes; providing referrals; remembering customer milestones; and sending thank you notes.

Many of our great fathers of industry—Ford, Edison, Hill, Carnegie—knew that the great fortunes of the world were created by people who had a greater passion for what they were giving, their product, service or idea, than what they were getting. And, Dr. Martin Luther King said that everyone can be great because anybody can give.

This month, start consciously applying the Law of Value—and give! Take some time to write out your plan to give more. In the next issues we’ll cover the remaining 4 Law of Stratospheric Success.

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